the Carolina
Criminologist
Volume 4, Issue 2
Fall 2012
De pa r t m e n t of C r i m i nol o gy & C r i m i na l J us t ic e
Inside this Issue
Department Head’s Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Student Internship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Engaged Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
“Brownbag” Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Hearing From Alumni. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Faculty Scholarly Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
International News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Support Your Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dr. Lisa Briggs Receives Coveted UNC
Teaching Award
The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice embraces the concept of “engaged
learning,” epitomized in the teaching style of Dr. Lisa Briggs. Her excellence in teaching was
formally recognized by presentation of the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence
in Teaching at spring commencement. She was one of 17 system-wide recipients following
thorough committee review and observation of her teaching.
Dr. Briggs is a beloved faculty member to many students at WCU. In the words of Regina
Cline, a spring 2012 graduate, “She is like a mother to me. She has supported me in all of my
endeavors, and she has created and provided countless opportunities for me to grow as an
Continued on page 5
Dr. Jamie Vaske Recognized with Faculty Scholar Award
The Faculty Scholar Award of the College of
Health and Human Sciences for 2012 was
presented to Dr. Jamie Vaske at the college
award ceremony on April 27. The award
“recognizes outstanding scholarly activity
as represented by current (within the last
three years) research, publications and/or
professional presentations.” The criteria for the
award call for “evidence of the advancement
of knowledge” and “impact of scholarly
activity on the discipline/profession.”
She was presented with a plaque and a $400
voucher to be applied to professional travel
this year.
Continued on page 6
Volume 4, Issue 2
the Carolina Criminologist
Page 1
Department Head’s Corner
Dr. Steve Brown
This issue of The Carolina Criminologist reviews many key activities
of students and faculty during the spring and summer semesters of
2012. Par for the
course, students in
our department have
benefited from a
variety of intellectually
stimulating events
during this time frame
along with wonderful
international learning
experiences. Some of
them are highlighted
in the pages that
follow.
Rather than
commenting on these
recent activities and
our continuation
of them in the fall
2012 semester, the
DH’s Corner of this
issue will share news
about an important
proposal to be
formally reviewed during the forthcoming semester. The department is
now approaching its 40th anniversary as an academic unit at WCU.
Over those years the department has grown in both size and quality
as a result of the commitment of many different faculty members
and administrative leaders. There have been a number of important
changes along the way, many serving as milestones in the evolutionary
path of the disciplines of criminology, criminal justice and emergency
management and in the maturing of this department. In the fall 2012
semester, the institution will be processing a proposal that will be
yet another critical step in the development of the department. The
proposal, discussed over much of last academic year, is to relocate the
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (DCCJ) in a collegiate
setting better matched to the current state of the department and the
university. It has been formally proposed that the unit move from the
College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) to the College of Arts
and Sciences (CAS).
A number of salient reasons underlie this decision. On the one
hand, the CHHS has evolved into a comprehensive health college,
located on the West Campus, while the DCCJ remains within the
Belk Building on the main campus. The college is now positioned to
move forward in meeting the educational and service needs of health
fields in WNC in ways that it never has before. The new building is
state-of-the-art for learning in the health fields and also provides an
opportunity for partnerships with health services. Indeed, the future
of education in health fields looks very bright at WCU. At the same
time, leadership within the CHHS has facilitated stalwart changes in
the DCCJ in recent years. Criminal justice/criminology curricula have
advanced to a cutting-edge status in the field, reflecting a strong
social science foundation and interdisciplinary influence that place it
at the forefront of the field nationally. The program in emergency and
disaster management offers the only baccalaureate degree in the state
Page 2
and is growing at an impressive pace. The college leadership has also
supported the department in conducting extensive national searches
in filling faculty positions, allowing us to recruit additional outstanding
faculty who want to teach in an engaged university, whose research
agenda’s far surpass those typical of regional state universities, and
who appreciate the opportunity to live in the beautiful mountain setting
of Cullowhee and surrounding areas. The result is a social science
department that broadly and critically scrutinizes crime, criminals,
justice systems, and emergency management issues. In sum, the
CHHS has brought one of its departments to a level of maturity that
befits its “leaving home” to find an appropriate new home setting. A
college of arts and sciences, or similar collectivity, serves as the modal
“home” for such programs and that time has arrived at WCU.
How will this change matters for students? For faculty? For WCU at
large? Analogous to all persons maturing and leaving their home of
origin, there will certainly be challenges and adjustments, but such
change is both healthy and inevitable. For students there will be the
positive benefits of moving to a college that is based on the East
Campus and where most students having a minor or second major
within the same college, and of a collegiate identity that would more
closely reflect both the substance of our programs and the more
common departmental affiliation. Faculty members within the DCCJ
unonimously favored the initial proposal and are excited about the
prospects of developing closer research and teaching relationships
with faculty in many departments within the College of Arts and
Sciences. The hope is that faculty currently within the CAS will be
similarly excited about those interdisciplinary opportunities. Finally, the
relocation will move a department with one of the largest numbers of
majors into a college that stands to benefit from that growth and the
intellectual vibrancy that will accompany it.
The reorganization process is delineated in a document labeled
“APR 26” and is well under way. The faculty members of the DCCJ
deliberated early in the spring semester and were enthusiastic about
the prospects of relocating. Dean Linda Stanford met with us and
endorsed the concept and discussions with all deans and various other
administrators unfolded over the remainder of the spring and summer
semesters. After conversations with former Interim Dean Gibbs Knotts,
I met with the department heads of the CAS and have continued
discussions with Interim Dean Richard Starnes, informed by former
Dean Linda Stanford and Marie Huff, now interim dean of CHHS. The
proposal will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate during fall semester
and then move to the provost and chancellor for their consideration.
If all proceeds as anticipated, the plan will be finalized by the end of
the fall semester and become operational July 1, 2013. This year is
expected to be a year of transition and looking forward. As this unfolds,
we will certainly miss many wonderful colleagues we have come to
know within the CHHS but will be excited about the opportunities to
develop productive relations with colleagues throughout the CAS and
to share in the future of a college with much more similar academic
perspectives. While there will be some bittersweet elements to the
shift, they will undoubtedly give way to the value and excitement of
sharing a collegiate environment with a variety of disciplines, including
several of keen interest to our students and faculty.
Please do not hesitate to share any thoughts or direct any questions
about this likely reorganization.
the Carolina Criminologist
Student Completes Internship with the Naval Criminal
Investigation Service
Amy Johnson
I was delighted to learn, in the spring 2012
semester, I was selected from a highly
competitive pool of applicants to complete a
full time internship with the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service (NCIS). I worked in the
Camp LeJeune field office in Jacksonville, the
busiest field office within NCIS. For instance,
in the four months I was there, the agency
had almost 400 active cases.
I knew my ultimate goal would be to obtain a
position in a federal law enforcement agency
immediately after I decided on a career in
criminal justice. I felt an internship in a federal
agency would be a key factor in helping me
accomplish this goal and realize my dream.
After researching many federal agencies, I
decided on NCIS for an internship because of
their strong internship program and the broad
range of experiences interns are offered.
I began preparation for this internship as
early as my freshman year by looking up
requirements and application deadlines.
Because of their detailed application system
and stringent background checks, it took
about seven months from the beginning of
the process until I received my official offer.
Even before I sent in the application, however,
I spent many weeks working on my resume,
cover letter and essay, as well as securing
letters of recommendation.
NCIS interns get a diverse set of experiences
in the field with the agency’s special agents.
During my tenure in the internship, I was
among three interns at Camp LeJeune. We
were placed on one-month rotations served
between the Special Operations Unit, which
included working on cases classified as
general crimes, family and sexual violence and
counter intelligence/counter terrorism.
I gained firsthand experience of how the
NCIS operates. For example, I went to
several autopsies. Two of them left lasting
impressions. The first involved a very young
child and the second involved a corpse that
was in the advanced stages of decomposition.
I learned, among other things, an autopsy can
take a few hours; the longer ones are if the
cause of death is not certain.
I was also given the privilege to visit a couple
of crime scenes, where I assisted in searches
and processing evidence. While at the scenes,
I could not touch any of the evidence. Instead
I would assist the agents by passing items to
them or documenting what items were found.
Once we returned to the office, I helped
process the evidence by assisting the agent
with adding the full label to the evidence bag
and fully sealing the bag. The other interns
and I also frequently made photo templates
for case reports.
We also were given the opportunity to learn
the layout of the case files. We primarily
accomplished this in our routine of reviewing
many files. A significant amount of time was
also spent making copies of cases for reports
to help the case move along.
Agents were generally happy to talk to us
about the different cases they were working
on, especially when they asked us to do
something or were about to do an interview
that we could all watch from the next room
through the security camera. We watched
many interviews during our time there,
learning many different interview techniques
and the necessary procedure before talking
to anybody.
Twice I was able to help the evidence
custodian with the destruction of evidence.
Once a case has been closed and any trial has
been finished, evidence is either returned to
the owner or the family; however, many times
there is evidence that cannot be returned –
mostly drugs, but there was quite a variety.
One day during my time there, the agents
had a field-training day. The interns were
invited to participate in the training activities
which included running, pushups, sit-ups,
handcuffing techniques and dealing with a
violent situation. The agents also qualified
with their firearms that day; the interns
did not get to participate in this portion,
but afterward an agent pulled us aside,
demonstrated his weapon and supervised
us as we fired it.
Time for Students to Start Planning Summer Internships
With the recent economic slowdown and drop in criminal justice hiring, students are finding the experience and connections afforded by a
successful internship to be a real plus in the job hunt. And though it seems early, the fall is the time to plan summer internships. Criminal
justice internships at WCU are the culmination of a painstaking process in which the student takes a major role. First, the student needs to have
taken a certain sequence of CJ courses, have a 2.75 overall GPA, and have no felony convictions. Second, they need to select an agency that
is consistent with their career goals. Then they must check the online department internship site (wcu.edu/11475.asp) and read the manual
carefully. They then need to bring a hard copy of the checklist from that site and meet with Dr. Hawley, the internship director, 418A Belk, during
his office hours. If the student gets a provisional approval from the department, he/she is now free to contact the agency for an initial interview, if
appropriate. In the recent past, students have completed internships in the GBI, SBI, State Department of Corrections, NCIS, federal prisons and
in various local criminal justice agencies. Students are urged to visit agency’s websites for internship information immediately, as some agencies
have application deadlines for the summer as early as mid-November of the preceding year.
Fall 2012
Page 3
Engaged Learning at WCU
Engaged learning is the mantra of WCU and the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, which excelled in providing a host of learning
and service experiences to students during the fall semester, both on and off campus. These activities are what distinguish our programs
from those of other colleges and universities. Take the opportunity to participate in as many as you can and be sure to select a variety
of activities from among engaged scholarship, community service, participating in field observations of the justice system, international
learning, and learning applied skills through extracurricular activities. There is so much available at WCU to have an astonishingly wellrounded learning experience. Take advantage of all you can and be a step ahead of your peers attending other institutions.
The Hunger Games’ Come to Western North Carolina
Inspired by the WCU Poverty Project, a
campuswide initiative to raise awareness
about poverty both locally and globally,
criminal justice students launched a food
drive competition to benefit Asheville food
banks. Students used “The Hunger Games,”
a popular book that became a blockbuster
movie, as the theme for the food drive
competition. To launch the food drive,
criminology students attended a private
viewing of the film at Quin Theaters in Sylva.
Over the next three weeks, students brought
in canned food to participating classes, and
at the end of the competition, Dr. Caravelis
Hughes’ social justice class was declared the
winner. Overall, more than 500 cans of food
were donated to those in need.
Page 4
the Carolina Criminologist
Dr. Briggs shares a special moment with
friend, mentor, and Dept. Head Bill Hyatt
Dr. Lisa Briggs Receives
Coveted UNC Teaching
Award continued from cover
CJ Club Visits Facility for Transitioning
Incarcerated Women Back into Society
Dr. Vaske and seven criminal justice students
visited Swannanoa Women’s Correctional
Facility. Ms. Shareé McPeters arranged the
tour and allowed students to speak with
clients regarding their criminal histories and
incarceration experiences. Senior criminal
justice student Tracy King said, “It was just
so moving to know that there are jobs out
there where you can really help people get
back on track.” Many students noted that
they were surprised that Swannanoa was not
a “scary” place, where people are “yelling
at you and being mean.” Swannanoa is a
cottage-style facility for women who only
have a short period of time left on their
sentence and who are getting ready to
transition back into society. Its environment
is one that is focused on rehabilitation
and supervision rather than solely on
incarceration. Ms. McPeters invited people
to volunteer their time with the clients. Dr.
Vaske will be taking a group of students back
to Swannanoa in the spring, where she plans
on donating a large number of books to the
new prison library facility. If you would like to
donate books to the facility, please contact
Dr. Jamie Vaske to arrange a time and date
to drop off the books.
Summerton Serves as Student Ambassador at
EMI Conference
Ms. Sarah Summerton, an emergency and disaster management student, attended the 15th
annual Emergency Management Institute’s (EMI) Higher Education Conference in Emmitsburg,
Md., in June 2012. Ms. Summerton had the opportunity to work at the conference as a
student ambassador. She and other students assisted EMI staff with facilitating the conference.
During the conference, Ms. Summerton also had the occasion to co-present, with Dr. Thomas
Johnson, a paper titled “Use of WebEOC to Create an Authentic Learning Environment.” Ms.
Summerton augmented Dr. Johnson’s research findings with her own perspectives as a student
who participated in the WebEOC class exercises.
Fall 2012
intellectual and as an individual. Dr. Briggs
has mentored many students in both
career choice and graduate studies. She
sponsors undergraduate research on an
annual basis and has spent untold hours
with students in experiential learning and
community service projects.”
Indeed, Dr. Briggs, a faculty member
at WCU since 2002, is renowned for
engaging students in learning activities
in the classroom, criminal justice
environments and in the community.
Her students have worked on projects as
diverse as homicide “cold cases,” human
trafficking conference planning, domestic
violence, rape prevention and animal
abuse. She has led students in European
study-abroad trips, serving the elderly in
our community and enhancing domestic
violence shelters. Her victimology course
is among our most popular classes,
routinely filling far in advance and always
delivering a challenging community service
component.
Dr. Briggs was presented with the UNC
Board of Governors award at a spring
undergraduate commencement ceremony,
and she delivered the address for the
Graduate School. The students and faculty
of the Department of Criminology and
Criminal Justice laud the engaged teaching
of Dr. Briggs, as recognized by the Board
of Governors. She serves as a role model
for countless students and stimulates
her colleagues in creating an engaged
environment.
Page 5
Engaged Learning at WCU
Dr. Jamie Vaske
Recognized with
Faculty Scholar Award
continued from cover
Dr. Vaske epitomizes the intellectual
curiosity, work ethic and academic values
that underlie outstanding scholarship. Her
dedication to seeking knowledge and her
selflessness in investing in the scholarly
interests of students and colleagues
stands out as one of the finest examples
on campus. Her efforts and successes
are nothing short of remarkable. Over the
course of her first three years at WCU
she has published some 25 papers in
journals such as Journal of Quantitative
Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminal
Justice and Behavior, Criminal Justice
Review, Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
Development & Psychopathology and
Psychiatry Research. During the past
three years she has also presented 18
papers as national conferences and
sponsored 36 student research projects
resulting in public presentations.
Widely acclaimed for interdisciplinary
scholarship and collaboration with
colleagues at many institutions, Dr. Vaske
is undertaking cutting edge research
examining interactions between genetic
polymorphisms and environmental
factors impacting deviant behavior. She
is at the forefront of the rapidly evolving
biosocial perspective within the field
of criminology. Her work is also quite
statistically sophisticated, frequently
utilizing latent growth models, meta
analyses, and other powerful strategies.
Recognition of Dr. Vaske with the Faculty
Scholar Award represents an excellent
decision for on the part of the awards
committee. She is passionate about her
scholarship and often points out that
it defines her as a person. Students
and colleagues in the Department
of Criminology and Criminal Justice
know that her passion for research is
contagious. She has motivated scores
of students to seek answers through
application of the scientific method and
sets a wonderful example for other faculty
through her dedication.
Page 6
Students, Faculty Travel to Raleigh for
Conference, Intelligence Center Tour
On Feb. 15, seven faculty members and
three students from the Department of
Criminology and Criminal Justice headed
to Raleigh for the annual North Carolina
Criminal Justice Association conference. The
conference was tasked with bringing together
criminal justice researchers, practitioners,
and decision makers to discuss important
topics in criminal justice and criminal justice
education in North Carolina. Students
presented information on a variety of topics
from the constitutionality of sentencing
offenders to religious-based programming
(Nicholas Tuttle) to the risk factors that
predict changes in youths’ violent behavior
(Teeairia Shell). Elizabeth McEwan, a senior
in the criminology and criminal justice
program, presented results from a case
study conducted with Professor Maggie
Orender’s classes on students’ writing and
researching skills. Her presentation, titled
“Undergraduate Criminal Justice Students’
Writing: Papers are a “Reel Waist” of
Time for Educators to Grade,” detailed the
Writing Fellows program at Western Carolina
University and the successes that Professor
Orender had employing the program with her
“Theories of Crime” courses.
Students and faculty also had the chance
to tour the Raleigh Intelligence Center (RIC)
of the Raleigh Police Department and to
meet with Chief Harry Dolan, an alumnus
of WCU’s criminal justice program. At the
RIC, Lieut. Huffman showed students and
faculty how threat assessment specialists,
crime analysts and detectives work together
to identify “hot spots” and “hot offenders”
in order to direct resources to those areas.
When asked why they enjoy their careers,
the crime analysts noted that they liked
being part of the action and being able to
make a difference through “smart” policing.
Chief Dolan also spoke to the importance
of smart policing and discussed the various
research projects that RPD has participated
in. In particular, he spoke of their research
on performance based management systems,
the Carolina Criminologist
EDM Students Earn Scholarships to
Asheville Workshop
issues with stop sticks, and the effects of
officers’ uniforms on police performance and
the public’s perception of officers.
In addition to touring RIC and meeting with
Chief Dolan, students and faculty got a
chance to meet with RPD recruiter Officer
Anthony Kerensky and participate in nightshift ride-alongs. Officer Kerensky stressed
the importance of physical training and solid
writing skills prior to joining the police force.
He also noted that applicants should have
a good working knowledge of the Raleigh
Police Department, as they will be asked
questions regarding RPD. Officer Kerensky
set up ride-alongs for two faculty members
and two students to tour the area of Raleigh
surrounding North Carolina State University.
Information on Raleigh Police Department
can be found at raleighnc.gov/safety/content/
Departments/Articles/Police.html.
List of presentations
“Identifying and addressing predictors of
changes in violent juvenile delinquency,”
by Teeairia Shell
“Issues implementing multi-systemic
therapy,” by Dr. Jamie Vaske
“Bridging the gap between researchers and
practitioners,” by Dr. Cyndy Hughes,
Dr. Albert Kopak and Dr. Tom Johnson
“Choosing church or jail for misdemeanor
offenses: Is it constitutional?,”
by Nicholas Tuttle
“Undergraduate criminal justice students’
writing: Papers are a ‘reel waist’ of time for
educators to grade,” by Elizabeth McEwan
and Professor Maggie Orender
“Teaching statistics in criminology & criminal
justice: An outcome assessment,” by Dr.
Stephen Brown, Dr. Albert Kopak, and
Dr. Jamie Vaske
“Police victimization and its effect on
organizational commitment: A Korean case,”
by Dr. Hoon Lee
Fall 2012
The Western Carolina University Emergency and Disaster Management Program faculty and
students were invited to participate in the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response
Association (DERA) workshop that was held in Asheville from June 15-17. JoAnnah Michaels
and Mark Phillips received scholarships worth $125 each to participate in the conference. Ms.
Michaels volunteered to provide staffing for conference registration. In addition, Mr. Phillips was
offered a scholarship to cover the cost of membership to DERA, worth an additional $50.
Senior Seminar Spring Speakers
Officer Kelly Holder and Officer Joey Dykes
of the Swain County Probation Office and
Macon County Probation Office visited
the Senior Seminar class to discuss their
responsibilities as probation officers. They
also briefed students on the recent Justice
Reinvestment Act (House Bill 642), which
was enacted Jan. 1, 2012. This act expanded
probation officers’ responsibilities to include
cognitive behavioral therapies and to provide
post-release control for all felony offenders
being released from prison. More information
on the Justice Reinvestment Act can be found
at doc.state.nc.us/JusticeReinvestment/.
Information on job opportunities with the
corrections division of the Department of
Public Safety can be found at doc.state.nc.us/
recruit/.
Professor David Moore visited Dr. Vaske’s
Senior Seminar class to discuss the process
of background investigations for federal
employment positions. Professor Moore
talked with the class about the dangers of
posting inappropriate pictures and statements
on social media websites, such as Facebook.
He also discussed with students why it is
critical that they make wise choices while
in college, because many of them will be
competing against seasoned job candidates
who may have years of experience, a degree
and a clean record.
Associate Professor Patricia Foley from the
Department of Forensic Sciences came to the
Senior Seminar course to present information
on a child homicide case that she worked on
while serving as a forensic DNA analyst at
the Baltimore County Police Department. She
explained to the class how she analyzed high
velocity blood splatters with DNA analysis,
and how this information was used in the
courtroom to convict the child’s mother and
father. More information on the Department
of Forensic Sciences can be found at
wcu.edu/4429.asp.
Recruiters from the Raleigh Police
Department (RPD) visited various courses in
the Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice in January. The recruiters explained
to students the five-year strategic plan of
the department, the numerous opportunities
available at RPD, and the benefits provided
to officers of the department. They noted
that the police force will be growing over
the next five years, and so students should
actively apply to RPD. More information on
the Raleigh Police Department can be found
at raleighnc.gov/safety/content/Departments/
Articles/Police.html.
Lindsey Harper returned to Western Carolina
University to discuss her current role as a
case manager at Centerpoint Health, an
affiliate of Talbert House in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ms. Harper graduated from the Department
of Criminology and Criminal Justice at WCU
in 2011 with her Bachelor’s of Science
degree in criminal justice and a minor in
psychology. She explained to the students
her responsibilities as a case manager for
offenders with substance use and mental
illness disorders. She also showed the
students examples of case notes that she is
required to complete on a daily basis, and
snapshots of the various agencies she works
with to help her clients receive services.
More information on Centerpoint Health and
Talbert House can be found at talberthouse.
org. Dr. Vaske encourages other graduates of
the Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice to visit the Senior Seminar course. She
can be reached at jvaske@email.wcu.edu.
Page 7
Engaged Learning at WCU
First Student Research Poster Competition a Success
The first annual Criminology and Criminal Justice Student Research
Poster Competition took place in conjunction with the Spring
Undergraduate EXPO. The Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice faculty sponsored a total of 42 research posters which
students presented at the 14th annual Undergraduate Expo hosted by
the Honors College on March 26. Students who attended the event
cast ballots for the top poster during the session, which was held in
the University Center Grandroom. Sandra Seiler and the Catamount
Clothing and Gifts store provided generous donations for the first-,
second- and third-place posters. The department plans to make this
spirited scholarly competition an annual event. See page 10 for the
winners of the inaugural competition.
Posters presented by students at the Undergraduate Expo
reflect the QEP goals of the Department of Criminology and
Criminal Justice:
(1) fostering effective communication skills;
(2) solving complex problems through application of research
and analytical skills; and
(3) clarification of values, appreciation of diversity and
inculcation of global awareness.
Page 8
the Carolina Criminologist
Forty-Two posters were presented by criminology and criminal justice students at the
14th annual Undergraduate EXPO, March 26 in the University Center Grandroom.
Fall 2012
Page 9
Engaged Learning at WCU
First place: “From Da Streetz: A
Statistical Comparison of City Crime Rates,”
by Samantha Brothers, Spencer Lockridge,
Logan Presnell and Nakristen Greene.
Second place: “Atrocity in the City,” by
Felicia Staggs, Kendra Puckett, Tracy King
and Jerlesha Smith.
Third place: “A Statistical Analysis of
Mean Crime Rates of Three Southeastern
Cities,” by Regina Cline, Erin Andrews,
Cody Hall and Jodi Evans.
Undergraduate Expo a Success for Department’s Students
An impressive 42 posters were presented by students during the March
26 Undergraduate Expo. This commitment to undergraduate research
reflects the department’s identification of “solving complex problems”
(scholarly research) and “communicating effectively” as QEP priorities
Page 10
for learning. Ten outstanding posters were selected for a special display
of student scholarship at the Chancellor’s Installation event on the
following day. In addition, two students made presentations of research
papers on March 26.
the Carolina Criminologist
Do not miss our next Defensive Tactics Workshop featuring
Armando Basulto, black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
October 22, 6:30-8:00 in Reid 112.
Pre-registration is required. You may register in the Department office by completing
the registration form, signing the liability waiver, and paying a registration fee of
$5
to the Criminal Justice Club.
The registration fee is waived for those who attended the all-day workshop last December.
Fall 2012
Page 11
“Brownbag” Series
Dr. Hawley Enthralls Brownbag Luncheon with Miller Talk
Dr. Frederick Hawley had an audience of
criminology faculty on the edge of their
chairs with his scintillating and enthusiastic
address “Walter Miller: From Fame to
Footnote” on Feb. 8, 2012, in Belk 210.
For those who have never had a theory or
juvenile delinquency class under Dr. Hawley,
Walter Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pa.,
in 1920 and died in 2004 at his home in
Cambridge, Mass. In the late 1950s and
early 1960s, various versions of subcultural
notions became prominent in criminology
and sociology and even became influential
in informing policy makers of the era. The
strain-influenced ideas of Cloward and Ohlin
and Albert Cohen were especially well-known.
The subcultural notions of Walter B. Miller,
once among the most cited of explanations of
juvenile delinquency, are less know today and,
in fact, are given short shrift in current opuses
on theoretical criminology. Essentially Miller’s
research led him to suggest that lower-class
culture had developed from historical factors
over centuries and was not solely a response
to lack of opportunity or a reaction against
middle class culture or political oppression.
Accordingly he was not sanguine about wellmeaning attempts to “end poverty,” rightly
suggesting that such attempts were, at best,
Page 12
simply naïve and doomed to failure due to
imprecise, ideologically grounded concepts
and flawed operationalization. Perhaps most
problematically, Miller’s work, notable for
its value-free and anthropologically based
cultural relativism, is challenging to those
policy makers and social scientists who insist
on attaching positive values to middle-class
standards and derogating lower-class culture
as a pathological reflection of middle-class
culture or as a reaction to it. Basically, Miller
suggests that those in the lower-class may be
reacting to subcultural behavioral imperatives
rather than to economic factors. This stance
has always been difficult to those who
were educated outside of the ethnographic
tradition or who had preexisting conflicting
policy agendas. Accordingly, Miller was
attacked from both left and right throughout
the late 1960s and 1970s. Today his ideas’
seeming lack of currency and salience may
be attributable to the fact that many young
criminologists are focused on developmental
and life-course explanations of crime and find
both culture and history irrelevant.
Miller also made notable contributions on
ideology and criminal justice and continued
to be a prominent gang researcher well
into the 1990s. He was almost alone in
continuing gang research and surveys in the
1970s when general criminological interest
in those subjects had seemingly waned. His
incomplete colossal masterwork, City Gangs,
replete with historical, geographical and
ethnographic detail, remains unpublished.
It is, thankfully, available at Arizona State
University’s website.
Miller’s major contribution to criminological
theory is the construct of the lower-class
as a discrete cultural entity. Central to
his construct is that focal concerns, often
confused with “values,” by students and
criminologists alike, are central standards
or behavioral complexes around which
lower-class existence is centered. Lowerclass culture is a longstanding historical and
cultural tradition that represents a merger of
lower-class white European traditions with
those of poor Afro-Americans and Hispanics
over centuries of immigration and internal
migration, a notion Miller developed further
in the City Gangs. It is not a race-specific
notion, although much of Miller’s research
centered on Afro-Americans in the Boston
area. Furthermore, in Miller’s ideation, lowerclass culture is not a reaction to middle-class
values or lack of opportunity. It is a subculture
with its own discrete values and cultural
the Carolina Criminologist
constructs. Focal concerns, which are central
concerns of lower-class existence, include
toughness, trouble, smartness, excitement,
fate and autonomy. These interests are
inculcated by gangs of corner boys who,
fleeing dysfunctional female-dominated lowerclass households, find refuge and affirmation
in all-male gangs. Gangs give such boys a
sense of family, status and belonging. The
closer one adheres to the gang ideals of focal
concerns and thus to lower-class values,
the more likely one is to be in conflict with
middle-class standards and the forces of
order. In other words, conformity to lowerclass cultural imperatives is the chief cause
of delinquency and crime in the lower-class
community.
This article was Miller’s most significant
contribution to criminological theory. It
has a number of salient arguments. The
fundamental point that Miller makes is
that there is a stabilized and homogeneous
lower-class culture that has historical and
cultural distinctiveness and reality. It is not a
reaction to middle-class culture, or a product
of neighborhood disorganization, but rather is
the product of complex cultural and historical
factors. This is developed more fully in City
Gangs. The second aspect of his construct
is that single-sex peer groups, i.e., gangs,
are a fundamental socialization mechanism
in lower-class culture. Because, according
to Miller, family life is dominated by women,
boys join street gangs to learn masculine
values and to avoid feminization. In these
street gangs and in lower-class culture in
general, focal concerns are the organizing
principle. Gangs represent the embodiment
of the lower-class male interest in trouble,
toughness, fate, excitement, smartness and
the need for autonomy. Finally, the more
intensely lower-class folk identify with “street”
culture as epitomized in focal concerns, the
more likely they are to be delinquent.
Miller worked in various administrative and
research capacities for city, state governments
for his entire career. He held significant
federal positions dealing with gangs and
juvenile delinquency and worked with
government and political officials throughout
his tenure in those positions. He also made
important contributions to the study of
ideology and crime and in the neglected area
of middle-class delinquency.
Fall 2012
The Impact of Neighborhood Crime Levels
on Police Use of Force:
Does Location Really Matter?
This presentation in the brownbag series was made By DR. Hoon Lee
Use of force by the police has always
attracted public attention. In particular, police
brutality in high-profile cases is the leading
factor that promotes distrust in the police
and tension between minority communities
and law enforcement. For the last several
decades, a great deal of research, in an effort
to control police brutality, has focused on
finding factors that can contribute to police
use of force. The general consensus among
researchers in the field is that there are two
major aspects that determine police use of
force: (1) legal perspectives and (2) social
science perspectives.
First, the legal perspectives explain that
police force must be guided by state law,
departmental policies, and federal and state
court cases because of its detrimental impact
on citizens. In Tennessee v. Garner (1985),
the U.S. Supreme Court held that police use
of deadly force against a nonviolent fleeing
felon is unconstitutional. Furthermore, the
court under Graham v. Connor (1989) ruled
that police use of force must be objectively
reasonable under the Fourth Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution. These two landmark
decisions allow police officers to use
objectively reasonable force only if there is an
immediate threat or danger to other citizens
or themselves. This means that police use of
force can be justified when citizens resist the
police or use physical force against the police
or innocent others.
On the other hand, the vast majority of
research based on social science perspectives
has examined the influence of extralegal
factors on police use of force, including
individual, situational, organizational and
neighborhood contextual variables. Many
scholars have reported that those extralegal
factors often determine the levels of police
force even after citizens’ resistance to the
police is statistically controlled. For example,
police officers are more likely to use higher
levels of force against young males or citizens
showing disrespectable demeanors to police
officers.
More recently, a paucity of research has
investigated the relationship between
neighborhood crime levels and police use of
force. Researchers hint that higher crime rates
in neighborhoods may invite higher levels
of police force based on Shaw and McKay’s
social disorganization theory and Black’s
theory. In contrast, the stability of punishment
assumption develops an opposite hypothesis
that police officers may use less severe force
in higher crime areas because officers seldom
apply vigorous formal authority in districts
with higher levels of crime.
Page 13
The Impact of Neighborhood Crime Levels on Police Use of Force:
Does Location Really Matter?
Although the overall findings support the
first hypothesis, previous studies cannot
avoid criticisms for several reasons. First,
most studies have failed to investigate the
relationship between all types of crime
and police use of force; rather, they have
selectively investigated partial types of
crime: violent crime or homicide. Second,
prior research has primarily examined the
relationship only at the macro level, which
fails to obtain substantial variations across
neighborhoods. Yet, no research has been
conducted to examine the relationship at
the street level. Lawton (2007) said “future
research into levels of police force must
consider location of a necessary measure
toward understanding the outcome of
police-citizen interactions” (p. 180). With the
advent of geographic information systems,
it is possible to measure different types of
neighborhood crime levels at the micro level.
The data for the current study were obtained
from a police department in Texas. First, the
police department mandates its officers to
complete a use of force report whenever they
apply force against citizens. Each report also
contains the information about the location
where police force was used, which was
later geocoded. The present study used a
total of 1,464 police use of force reports
between 2006 and 2007. Second, the
police department keeps all reported criminal
incidents as well as their geographical
information. The current study also utilized
a total of 513,455 crime incidents between
2005 and 2007.
Utilizing the two sets of data, the present
study could measure four different types
of neighborhood crime at four different
micro levels. Among various GIS mapping
techniques, radial buffers have been widely
used when calculating the number of criminal
incidents within buffer areas. The current
study created four radial buffer zones (500
feet, 1,000 feet, 2,000 feet, and 3,000 feet)
around every location where police officers
used force. Then, the current study counted
the total number of violent crimes (murder,
rape, robbery and aggravated assault),
property crimes (burglary, larceny, auto theft
Page 14
continued
and arson), property crimes except larceny
and drug-related crimes (possession, delivery,
and manufacturing of controlled substance/
narcotics, synthetic narcotics and marijuana)
that occurred within each of the four radial
buffer zones for the last 12 months before
each police use of force incident occurred.
For the comparison purpose, the current
study also adopted hierarchical linear
modeling to see if those four neighborhood
crime levels at the macro level affect police
use of force. For the analysis at the macro
level, the current study used four types of
crimes rates (violent, property, property
except larceny and drug-related crime rates)
in each of the nine command areas.
The findings of the current analyses can be
summarized as follows:
1. The total number of violent crimes that
occurred within the four buffer zones for
the last one year has a significant effect of
increasing the chances of using higher levels
of police force.
2. The total number of property crimes at the
micro level also has a positive and significant
effect; however, it becomes non-significant
when larceny is removed, especially within
the 500-feet buffer zone.
3. The total number of drug offenses at lower
levels of aggregation has a significant effect
of increasing the odds of using higher levels
of police force.
4. Unlike at the micro level, neighborhood
violent crime rates at the macro level do not
show a significant effect of increasing the
chances of choosing higher levels of police
force despite its positive sign.
5. Neighborhood property crime rates except
larceny at the macro level have no significant
relationship with police use of force.
6. Neighborhood drug crime rates at the
macro level show a significant effect of
increasing the odds of applying higher levels
of force. Among the four different types
of crime, drug crime rates are the only
significant determinant at the macro level.
7. Regarding the individual and situational
factors, the current study shows no
discrepancy with prior research. Citizens’
resistance to the police has a significant
effect of increasing the probability for police
officers to use higher levels of force. Neither
citizens’ race nor officers’ race affects police
use of force.
The impact of neighborhood crime levels on
police use of force has been often tested;
however, no study has simultaneously
examined the role of neighborhood crime
at the micro level and at the macro level.
In addition, previous studies have solely
focused on violent crimes. The present
study attempted to bridge the research gap
by (1) adopting GIS techniques to examine
the impact of neighborhood crime at the
micro level on police use of force, (2) using
multilevel analyses to measure the impact
of neighborhood crime at the macro level
and (3) expanding the limited definition of
neighborhood crime to violent, property, and
drug crimes. By doing so, the current study
concludes that neighborhood violent crime at
the micro level, neighborhood drug crime at
the micro level, and neighborhood drug crime
rates at the macro level explain increased
levels of police force.
Ideally, extralegal factors should not
affect police use of force. Responding to a
neighborhood with higher levels of crime
does not justify enhanced levels of police
force. As the current study found, however,
police officers have a tendency to use higher
levels of force in areas with higher violent
crimes or drug-related crimes. In this regard,
police administrators, supervisors, and
officers must make an extra effort to reduce
the role of extralegal factors in police use
of force. Most large police departments in
the United States are now equipped with
crime analysis tools. As shown in this study,
these techniques also can be used to analyze
the patterns of police force. By pinpointing
high-crime areas as well as locations
inviting higher levels of police force, police
organizations must examine the relationship
within their neighborhood context and their
officers’ use of force behavior in an effort to
reduce unnecessary use of police force.
the Carolina Criminologist
graduates
Spring 2012
Criminal Justice
honors college
Bell, Savanah
Cline, Regina – magna cum laude
Foster, Christina – summa cum laude
Hollar, Ashley – cum laude
Long, Jonathan – magna cum laude
Criminal Justice
Andrews, Erin
Bell, Savannah
Campbell, Travis – cum laude
Causby, Matthew
Cline, Regina – magna cum laude
Coggins, Chelsi
Cook, Matthew
Cook, Michael
Davis, Justin
Davis, Tamara – cum laude
Dodson, Adam – cum laude
DupreeAmanda
Foster, Donnielle – summa cum laude
Fountain, Chelsea
Frye, Derick
Glatte, Melisa
Grandy, Jeffrey – cum laude
Greene, Nakristin
Groesser, Cody
Hansen, Mark
Hensley, Kari – magna cum laude
Hernandez, Daniel
Hollar, Ashley – cum laude
Holmes, Cameron
Holshouser, Kevin
Hunt, Alexandra
Hunter, Jason – magna cum laude
Jones, Taylor – cum laude
Kemper, Jamie – cum laude
King, Tracy
Ledbetter, Dustin
Ledford, Charles
Fall 2012
Lickteig, Kyle
Livingston, Brandon
Long, Jonathan – magna cum laude
Loucks, Melissa
Lusk, Bryan
McEwan, Elizabeth – cum laude
McNeilly, Ethan
Moore, George
Norman, Ashley
Owens, Brian
Rawls, Samuel
Rhoney, Teddy
Riddle, Jonathan
Rubinic, Christopher
Sandlin, Brian
Shell, Teeairia
Spangler, Taylor
Swayngim, Joshua
Tripp, Jordan
Wilkerson, Matthew
Williams, Clarence
Criminal Justice
Distance Learning Program
Blalock, Christina
Combs, Forrest – summa cum laude Daley,
Jeremy
Estep, Christi
Finucan, Charles
Fox, Jataime – cum laude
Gardner, Rodney
Greenwood, Kim – cum laude
Harvey, Joyce
Helton, Jonathan
Hottle, Jessica – summa cum laude
Kerley, Sybil – summa cum laude
Lewis, Angela – summa cum laude
McCurry, Melissa
Piantino, Heather
Pinney-Tourtellotte, Andrew
Price, Rachel – summa cum laude
Sharpe, Shannon – summa cum laude
Smith, Amber
Wagner, Chris
Wilhelm, Douglas – summa cum laude
Wolford, Ronald
Emergency & DisaSter
Management Program
Anderson, Brittny – cum laude
Dover, David– magna cum laude
Grooms, Jason– magna cum laude
Jopson,Alan– magna cum laude
McCorquodale, Christie – cum laude
Parnell, Brian
Smith, Malcolm – cum laude
Studley, Anissa – cum laude
Swift, Jerry
Woomer, Amanda – summa cum laude
Page 15
Hearing From Alumni
Regina Cline
Christina Foster
Was a senior graduating with a 4.0
in program GPA and a 3.87 overall
GPA. She double-minored in clinical
forensics and psychology. She was
both a full-time student and employee
and was very involved in extracurricular
activities on campus, such as the Pride
of the Mountains Marching Band,
the Cathouse Pep Band, Reformed
University Fellowship (RUF) and an oncampus ministry. She also was highly
involved in many service opportunities
including the Red Zone Project, Soles
for Souls, Restorative Justice and The FBI Human Trafficking
Conference. Regina states, “I think that it is very important to give
back to the community and to help those in need in any way that
you can. I am honored to be a part of this outstanding Criminal
Justice Department and to have the numerous opportunities to
share what I have learned with the community.”
Senior double-majoring in psychology
and criminology and criminal justice.
She graduated summa cum laude with
a GPA of 3.91. She has recently been
accepted into the graduate program at
UNC Wilmington for a master’s degree
in public sociology and criminology
and has been offered a teaching
assistantship. As an undergraduate,
she attended seven conferences across
the United States and presented
research for topics such as negative
consequences of alcohol use among
college students, sex offenders and human trafficking. Christina
also was selected to participate in the first alumni shadowing/
mentoring day in Atlanta and was previously awarded the Dani
West Morgan Scholarship. Currently on the Dean’s Advisory Board
for the College of Health and Human Sciences. She ultimately
plans on working with at-risk youth, ensuring that they learn prosocial skills and responsibilities in the hopes of them being able to
achieve many of their ambitions and goals.
Forrest Combs
Employed since 2007 as a campus
police officer for Davidson College in
Davidson. He previously was employed
by a major airline for 22 years before
taking an early retirement. Forrest
received an associate of arts degree
from Mitchell Community College in
Statesville in 1977 and returned to
the academic world in the summer of
2009 to pursue a degree in the criminal
justice field. Graduated from WCU in
spring 2012 summa cum laude with a
bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Forrest and his wife, Sherry, reside in Statesville and have been
married for 34 years. They are the proud parents of two sons
(William & Tyler) and three grandchildren (Tyson, Lauren & Cade).
Elizabeth McEwan
Born and raised in Parsonsburg, Md.,
with her older brother and younger
sister. Her family moved down to North
Carolina in 1998. She graduated from
South Point High School in 2008, and
spent her freshman year of college at
UNC-Charlotte before transferring to
WCU. She declared criminal justice
as her major and social work as her
minor after a year at school. Elizabeth’s
hobbies include reading and writing,
playing soccer, rock climbing, hiking,
camping and hanging out on campus
near the fountain on a beautiful day.
Tamara Davis
JoAnnah Michael
A member of Phi Sigma Pi Honors
Fraternity, Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal
Justice Honors Society, Phi Beta
Delta International Honors Society, Pi
Gamma Mu International Honor Society
in Social Services, vice president of the
Criminal Justice Club, secretary of the
Phi Beta Delta International Student
Club, and mother of two children.
Her major is criminal justice and her
minor is psychology. She is graduating
with a 3.458. She studied abroad in
the Netherlands, Belgium, England
and France in the summer of 2011 with Dr. Lisa Briggs and other
WCU students from the Criminal Justice Department. She plans to
continue her education through a master’s program in psychology.
Manager of the Pastors’ Office for the
senior and coordinating pastors serving
First Baptist Church of Asheville’s
1,750-plus members since January
of 2005. She’s a skilled graphic
artist with a global clientele, an event
coordinator and a manager of three “no
price tags” clothes closets. She began
her education at the University of
Central Florida/San Diego State in the
early ’70s and came to WCU at midlife
after raising her family. At home on
horseback, motorcycle or with SCUBA
tanks, JoAnnah’s EDM academic focus has been on major disaster
response in coastal areas, especially on pet and animal rescue. She
is an American Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer in
Asheville and also deploys on national disaster relief operations.
Page 16
the Carolina Criminologist
Learning and Serving at WCU:
Experiences of Two Alumni
In these alumni contributions, Elizabeth Caveny Snyder, class of 2008, describes how
her research methods studies prepared her for working as a social research analyst in the
Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness at WCU. Officer Jacob Deal, WCU Police
Department, also class of 2008, describes his transition from the student role to serving
and protecting on campus.
Elizabeth Caveny Snyder
There was never a
doubt in my mind
that I would major
in criminal justice,
and I knew a small
mountain school
would be a perfect
fit for me. Much
to my mother’s
dismay, Western
Carolina was the
only university I applied too. Why waste
money on application fees when I knew
where I would go anyway? I knew the caliber
of the criminology program, and I knew WCU
was a good fit for me. I could not have been
more correct on both counts.
During my three and a half years as a
student at WCU, I felt my interests and
career focus shifting. I took an introduction to
sociology class and realized study of broader
social issues was an extension of my interest
in crime and criminal justice. I wanted to
seek a broad education but certainly was
not willing to give up my first love (criminal
justice), so I decided to double-major and
continue pursuing my Spanish minor as
well. The majors really complemented one
another and speaking a second language is
something that I valued.
My junior year is when my perspective began
changing. I took two research methods
classes – one with Dr. Lisa Briggs in
criminology and criminal justice and another
Fall 2012
with Dr. Anthony Hickey in sociology. I loved
both classes and something about research
really spoke to me. I love investigating and
seeking explanations for social matters and
developed concrete skills in these courses
– practical skills that could be applied in
the research process. I became particularly
interested in prisonization and juvenile
issues, and I would still love the opportunity
to delve more deeply into these topics.
As I pondered my graduation in December
2008, pending marriage and the need to
remain in the area until my fiancé graduated
from nursing school that May, I began
to think about career options that I had
not previously contemplated. That was
all well and good, but I had decided that
law enforcement was not for me. I lost
count of how many applications I mailed
out to different places, never even getting
interviews. Once I finally got one for a
telecommunications position (just to get my
foot in the door), I did not get it because I
was not local and would have to relocate.
At that point, my husband accepted a
position in Asheville, so I had to look closer
to there and stop expanding my search. On
a whim, I checked out the human resources
page for WCU. There was one position
listed for a social research assistant position
in the Office of Institutional Planning and
Effectiveness. I applied Labor Day weekend
and started work on Oct. 1.
Now, I cannot imagine myself doing anything
besides institutional research. When I
started, I was responsible for completing
the institution’s “common data set,” which
contains different information about the
university (enrollment, other statistics,
information about faculty, etc). I also
completed external surveys, in which outside
sources such as U.S. News, Businessweek,
College Board and others ask for information
about WCU that they can publish. I also
administered CoursEvals, our online course
evaluations.
I still work with the CoursEval process, but
now I also work with space on campus and
do more internal surveys. I also provide
data to departments who request it; for
example, I’ve provided the Department of
Criminology and Criminal Justice information
regarding student credit hours, class sizes,
etc. A typical day for me could include
running numbers, answering questions, going
to a meeting or two, or doing a software
installation. It’s different every day.
This definitely is not a job I saw myself
in when I first started at WCU in 2005,
but now I cannot imagine being anywhere
else. It may not fit the “typical” professions
you think of when you hear that someone
majored in criminal justice, but I still am
able to use the things I’ve learned – time
management, research, how to deal with
people. I also feel very strongly that I never
would have wound up here if it had not been
for my professors and friends at Western
Carolina. The joke at our house is that I love
this place so much I will never leave!
Page 17
Learning and Serving at WCU:
Experiences of Two Alumni
Jacob Deal
The transition
from student
to employee
at Western
Carolina
University
has been an
amazing journey.
As a student
at W.C.U., I
enjoyed the
full on-campus
experience.
I lived in the Residence Halls, ate at the
cafeterias, and spent my time getting as
much out of the University as I could. At
Western Carolina University, I was able to
build relationships and lay the groundwork
for my future in Law Enforcement.
My experiences as a Criminal Justice
major still resonate with me as I continue
my Law Enforcement career as a Police
Officer at Western Carolina University. I was
able to learn from a staff of well-rounded
and knowledgeable Professors within the
Criminal Justice department. I also had
the opportunity to participate as an intern
with the Western Carolina University Police
Department. The internship not only allowed
me to get an inside look at the functions of
a Police Department but provided me with
many contacts for my future career.
I enjoyed being part of the Criminal
Justice program and was fortunate to have
Professors who were always eager and
helpful in guiding me in the right direction.
They had a huge impact on my overall
success of becoming a Police Officer.
As I graduated from WCU, I was faced with
the very real dilemma of how to pursue
my career in Law Enforcement and how
best to achieve my goals. With my degree
in hand, the next step was to attend Basic
Law Enforcement Training and work towards
finding my first department. I attended
B.L.E.T. the summer after I graduated. Once
I completed the course, I began my search
for a job. I recalled the relationships I had
built while working at the W.C.U. Police
Department. I spoke with the Officers
and they offered advice and information
about any job openings in the area. When
I was notified that a position had opened
at the Western Carolina University Police
Department, I jumped at the opportunity
to return. My wonderful memories and
experiences as a student at W.C.U. naturally
made me very comfortable with the idea of
becoming an employee at the University.
The transition from student to employee
at Western Carolina University was
surprisingly easy. I was very familiar with
the processes, geography, and people at
the University. Many of the same people I
knew as a student were still in their same
positions. They likely did not expect to see
me walk through the door in uniform and as
a member of the University’s faculty/staff.
Most remembered me as the student they
came to know, but quickly began to regard
me as a colleague. It has been a wonderful
experience becoming a new employee. I
have enjoyed having the benefit of knowing
so many people and so much of what goes
on as W.C.U. conducts business each day.
my job to the best of my ability. I remember
life as an on-campus student and often pull
from my own experiences as I interact with
students and other community members. In
my position I sometimes deal with people
who are in a challenging moment or have
made a poor decision. More often than not,
I have the opportunity to help someone
and guide them in the right direction. To do
that I sometimes apply lessons I learned
as a student and try to educate the person
to make better decisions later when faced
with the same scenario. My experiences as
a student also help me to be more aware of
issues and dangerous circumstances that
I often can address before they present
themselves and become more serious.
The Police Department at Western Carolina
University is unique. It often provides
Police Officers the opportunity to make
a positive impact in the lives of those we
encounter at the University. Our Officers
continually work with campus groups and
organizations to make sure our community is
safer. Throughout the time I have worked at
W.C.U., I find that I have already built many
positive relationships with students and
faculty alike.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences
as a student, alumni, and most recently
an employee of Western Carolina University.
As a University Police Officer I have a great
responsibility to my community to keep
our campus safe and help when I am
called upon. My time as a student has
helped to shape me into the Police Officer
I have become.
As an alumni and current Police Officer at
WCU, I have many benefits that help me do
Alumni Updates
Tom Ammons, ASAC 1993
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
Western District
Daran Dodd 2001
Law Enforcement Agent
Unauthorized Substances/Drug Tax Division
N.C. Department of Revenue
Page 18
Christine Deslandes Dodd 2002
Zoning Enforcement Official/Planner
Johnston County NC Planning Department
Justin M. Robinson 2009
Probation/Parole Officer II
North Carolina Department of Public Safety
William Hawkins 1985
Corporate Security & Investigations
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank
If you would like to share your current position or
other news with fellow alumni or students through
this forum, please email information you would
like included to: Dr. Cyndy Caravelis Hughes at
caravelis@wcu.edu or to Dr. Steve Brown
at browns@wcu.edu
the Carolina Criminologist
Kleck Demystifies Gun Policy in UC Lecture
Self-described “typical academic liberal”
Dr. Gary Kleck, David Bordua Professor of
Criminology at Florida State University, took
on a number of gun control/gun ownership
myths, most of them stereotypically “liberal,”
in his speech “Gun Violence: Good Guys
vs. Bad Guys” on March 5 in the University
Center Grandroom.
The 400 audience members heard a tightly
constructed dissection of various anti-gun
arguments and a critique of various policies
pertaining to limiting the use and carriage
of weaponry that have been suggested over
the years. Kleck paid special attention to the
issues pertaining to gun use by “good guys,”
that is, legitimate gun permit holders and
those protecting life, limb and property from
“bad guys.” Appropriately, he also discussed
contexts in which criminals (“bad guys”)
used guns illicitly and how laws aimed at
discouraging gun use by bad guys simply
don’t work because criminals ignore them.
Of particular interest was his discussion of
the application of concealed carry laws and
how they might affect academe if students
were allowed to carry guns on campus. In
short, Kleck felt that student carriage of guns
on campus would have little impact beyond
making faculty rather uneasy. He also stated
that, in general, new laws impacting gun
ownership and use were not needed. A lively
and interesting question and answer session
followed with community members, as well
Fall 2012
as students, participating. A small reception
for faculty and staff was held in Illusions
following the presentation.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Kleck held a
symposium for faculty members in which he
discussed how his initial research had led
to new research interests and had opened
new avenues of discussion and discovery.
In this context he elaborated about how his
own career had been shaped by the direction
of his research and suggested that such a
path was not atypical in academe. He also
spoke to Dr. Steve Brown’s theory class and
elaborated on many of the themes that were
presented in his earlier speech.
Both members of the general community
and students found this visit and topic
intellectually engaging, and faculty and
students reported that classes in the week
following often began with a discussion of
the speech and its implications.
Thanks go to the Office of the Provost’s
Visiting Scholar Program, the College of
Health and Human Sciences, and the
Department of Political Science and Public
Affairs for proving funding. The Criminal
Justice Club did a great job providing
logistical support. This Visiting Scholar event,
as others in the past, provided extraordinary
opportunities for students and faculty to
interact with a notational expert in an area.
Page 19
FACULTY SCHOLARLY WORKS
Dr. Steve Brown
Has completed the eighth
edition (with Finn-Aage
Esbensen and Gilbert
Geis) of Criminology:
Explaining Crime and Its
Context, with Elsevier
Publishing Co. He copresented, with Drs.
Kopak and Vaske, a
paper entitled “Teaching
statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice:
An outcome assessment” at the annual
meeting of the North Carolina Criminal
Justice Association in Raleigh in February.
Dr. Fred Hawley
Co-authored “Family
warmth and delinquency
among Mexican American
and White youth: Detailing
the causal variables” in
the Journal of Juvenile
Justice, 1(2), 52-67, with
Dr. Kopak. Dr. Hawley
contributed “Guns in
the South” (with Mary Amelia Turner) to
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture
and entries on “Cultural Violence Theories”
and “Walter Miller” to the Encyclopedia of
Theoretical Criminology.
Page 20
Dr. Cyndy Caravelis Hughes
Made a presentation at
the annual meeting of the
North Carolina Criminal
Justice Association with
Drs. Johnson and Kopak
on “Research, Law
Enforcement Agencies,
Best Practices, and
Bridging the Gap.”
Dr. Tom Johnson
Published a paper in the
Journal of Homeland
Security and Emergency
Management on “Effect
of a Marketing Program
on Freshman Student
Registration for an
Emergency Notification
System.” Dr. Johnson
presented “Use of the WebEOC to Create
an Authentic Learning Environment” at
the annual meeting of the Emergency
Management Institute for Higher Education
Conferences. With Drs. Hughes and
Kopak, he co-presented “Research, Law
Enforcement Agencies, Best Practices, and
Bridging the Gap” at the annual meeting
of the North Carolina Criminal Justice
Association in Raleigh in February.
Dr. Al Kopak
Has had four papers
published or accepted
for publication since
the last issue of The
Carolina Criminologist.
He was second author
along with S.L. Proctor
and N.G. Hoffman on
“Compatibility of Current
DSM-IV and Proposed DSM-5 Diagnostic
Criteria for Cocaine Use Disorders” published
in Addictive Behaviors, 37(6), 722-728. He
was first author, joining with Dr. Fred Hawley,
to publish “Family warmth and delinquency
among Mexican-American and White youth:
Detailing the causal variables” in the Journal
of Juvenile Justice, 1(2), 52-67. He also
has two encyclopedia entries forthcoming:
“Divorce and Marriage in the United States
and Abroad” in Cultural Sociology of Divorce
and “Prescription Drug Abuse” (with Dr. Fred
Hawley) in the Encyclopedia of Theoretical
Criminology.
Dr. Kopak also made five presentations
during the spring semester. “Innovations in
information sharing: An example provided
by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office” was
presented (co-authored with A.M. McCord)
at the North Carolina Criminal Justice
Association annual conference, Raleigh, in
the Carolina Criminologist
February. At the same conference he teamed
with Drs. Johnson and Hughes to present
“Research, Law Enforcement Agencies, Best
Practices, and Bridging the Gap” and with
Drs. Brown and Vaske to deliver a paper
titled “Teaching statistics in Criminology and
Criminal Justice: An outcome assessment.”
He presented a poster on “Ecodevelopmental
Protective Factors against Substance use
among Multiethnic Gang-Affiliated Youth”
at the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research
Center annual conference in Phoenix, Ariz., in
April. Finally, he presented a poster (with S.L.
Proctor and N.G. Hoffman) on the topic, “Are
the Criteria Compatible: Examining Current
DSM-IV and Proposed DSM-5 Diagnostic
Criteria for Cocaine Use Disorders” at the
American Society of Addiction Medicine
annual conference in Atlanta in April.
Dr. Hoon Lee
Co-authored a monograph, The Six Policing
Strategies in America, with
H. Lim and D.W. Bowman.
He also published an article
in Society & Security titled
“Examination of the rape
rate in South Korea: An
Explorative Approach”
(with H. Jang, J. Lee, and
D. W. Tushaus). Dr. Lee
Fall 2012
presented a paper on “Police Victimization
and its Impact on Organizational Commitment:
A Korean Case” at the annual meeting of the
North Carolina Criminal Justice Association in
Raleigh in February.
Professor Carlie Merritt
Was lead author (with
Robert Crow) on a book
chapter titled “Sounding
the Alarm: Emergency
Managers Learn in Second
Life” for a book titled
Virtual Worlds in Online
and Distance Education.
Professor Maggie Orender
Presented “Undergraduate
Criminal Justice Student’s
Writing: Papers Are a
“Reel Waist” of Time for
Educators to Grade” (with
Elizabeth “Eli” McEwan) at
the North Carolina Criminal
Justice Association annual
meeting in February 2012.
Ms. Orender also prepared
all ancillary packages to accompany the eighth
edition of Criminology: Explaining Crime and
Its Context.
Dr. Jamie Vaske
Is lead author on a
manuscript (co-authored
with Danielle Boisvert and
John Wright) accepted for
publication in the Journal
of Interpersonal Violence
and titled “Genetic and
environmental contributions
to the relationship between
violent victimization and
criminal behavior.” Dr. Vaske also contributed
“Genetic theories of criminal behavior”
(with Danielle Boisvert) to The Encyclopedia
of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She
revised and updated two chapters for the
eighth edition of Brown, Esbensen, and Geis’
Criminology: Explaining Crime and Its Context:
Chapter 6, “Individual Theories of Crime:
Biological and Biosocial Perspectives,” and
Chapter 10, “New Directions: Integration
and a Life-Course Perspective.” At the
North Carolina Criminal Justice Association
annual meeting in Raleigh, Dr. Vaske
made a February presentation on “Issues
Implementing Multi-Systemic Therapy.”
Page 21
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
International study, activities and linkages are an important part of our criminal justice programs.
Consider a trip to South Africa in conjunction with two courses on our Spring schedule.
CJ Professors to Lead
Students on South Africa
Study Abroad Opportunity
During the spring 2013 semester,
Dr. Caravelis Hughes and Dr.
Kopak will lead students on an
epic journey to South Africa that
will expand their understanding
of race relations across continents
and cultures. In Johannesburg,
students will visit the Apartheid
Museum and the Mandela Museum
and will tour several historic
sites related to the Apartheid
movement, such as Soweto,
the location of a youth uprising
movement against the Apartheid
regime.
Students also will visit a South
African prison to learn about
offender re-entry programs and
will meet with community group
Page 22
leaders to discuss local efforts
to reduce police corruption,
prostitution and human trafficking.
Other notable activities include a
visit to Pilanesberg National Park
to go on safari and a cross-country
train ride to Cape Town. While
in Cape Town, students will tour
Robben Island, where Nelson
Mandela was imprisoned for
18 years.
Students interested in being a part
of this adventure will need to enroll
in “Social Justice and the Law” (CJ
305), “Minorities, Crime and Social
Policy” (CJ 438) or “International
Studies in Law and Society” (CJ
475). Contact Dr. Caravelis Hughes
or Dr. Kopak for more information.
the Carolina Criminologist
Alternative Break in Jamaica Reaps Unexpected Opportunities
Meagan Pittman
summary of what I learned:
• The homicide clearance rate last year was
44.8 percent. This was a good year.
Usually, it’s around 30 percent.
• 70 percent of the homicides committed in
Jamaica are gang-related.
• There were only 300 traffic fatalities
last year.
• Cocaine is the biggest drug being
imported and exported, with crack
cocaine becoming an ever-increasing
problem.
• Organized crime is a huge concern.
I had the incredible opportunity to go on an
alternative spring break this year to Jamaica.
We started our week as tourists in Montego
Bay on Friday, and then Sunday, we made
the thrilling but life-threatening bus trip four
hours across the island to Kingston. During
the week, we visited two schools, where we
read to children; a home for young, unwed
mothers, where we held babies and gave
their mothers a chance to tell their stories;
and finally traveled to an orphanage. Part of
our group painted a stairwell in a dorm while
the other part played games and connected
with the children.
At the second school we visited, Iris Gelly,
I met a little girl who asked me if she could
come home with me and told me she wanted
me to be her mom. She held my hand, took
numerous pictures with me, and never let me
go the entire three hours we were there. It
was one of the most touching things I have
ever experienced, and she will never
be forgotten.
around without permission and said that we
personally had to receive permission from
their associate commissioner of police, or
ACP.
When we arrived at ACP Taylor’s office, he
asked a series of questions, including what
our specific areas of interest were. When I
replied “homicide and major crimes,” he said
he would set up a meeting with the head
of the Criminal Investigation Branch, or the
CIB. This organization is equitable to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.,
as it receives the crimes from all across the
country. I was thrilled. All I had expected to
do on this trip was volunteer work, and now
I was given the opportunity to speak with the
head of the CIB in Jamaica!
I could barely contain my excitement as we
drove to the Ministry of Justice’s south tower.
When we arrived, Mr. Powell allowed me
to ask any questions I could think of, and I
asked about everything from sex trafficking to
the homicide clearance rate. Below is a short
• It takes two to three years for someone to
go to trial in Jamaica.
This service trip to Jamaica was the most
incredible experience of my life. I had so
many amazing opportunities and experiences
that will truly never be forgotten. I had the
chance to parasail in the Caribbean, eat
goat for the first time, I received an offer to
be bought from a security guard outside of
Pizza Hut, and I had the chance to walk the
neighborhoods of such an incredible place
with some of the most amazing people I have
ever met, not to mention the connection I
made with the WCU students who went. I
definitely made some lifelong friends on this
trip. Even though there was so much poverty
everywhere we went, I have never seen more
pride, love and community than I did in
the communities in which we traveled. The
people of Jamaica are truly inspiring, and I
can only hope I made as big of a difference
in their lives as they did in mine. One love,
Jamaica. One love.
On Thursday, our group had plans to
travel to the Peace Corps office, but I was
afforded another opportunity: I was able to
visit a police department. Along with my
faculty adviser and one other student, I first
traveled to the Half Way Tree Police Station,
where a deputy inspector gave us a tour.
After he had shown us the station and the
holding room, we walked over to the jail.
As he introduced us to the staff, the deputy
inspector’s supervisor arrived. He chastised
Deputy Inspector Jarett for showing us
Fall 2012
Page 23
Summer 2012 Korea Trip Marks CJ’s First Study Abroad Foray into Asia
A group of students in the Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice studied abroad in Korea between June 16-July 16. The Korean
trip consisted of two parts. First, the Korean Studies Summer Program
(KSSP) at our sister institution, Hannam University in Daejeon, Korea,
has a long history. The WCU International Programs and Services (IPS)
facilitates students from any major having the opportunity to enroll
at HU for this 3-hour course. Due to the strong commitment of our
department to developing a diverse range of international experiences,
WCU sent a record number of students to HU this past summer.
Hannam University. During the entire stay in the country, these buddy
students help each foreign student from the airport on the arriving
day to the departure day. These invaluable companions volunteered to
travel together, stay at dorms with international students and provide
support and assistance. The friendship between WCU and HU students
continues as one of the Korean buddies, Heewon Chae, is coming to
Western Carolina University this fall to study for one year. One of the
goals of our department is to develop closeness with other universities
around the world to facilitate such relationships.
The second phase for our students studying abroad was the delivery
of the department’s CJ 475: “International Studies in Law and
Society,” led by Dr. Hoon Lee. The eight students participating in the
department’s first study abroad foray into Asia were: Freedom Critcher,
Michael Eid, Brittany Emerson, Brittany Gartz, Jamal Hyrams, Samuel
Rawls, Nicholas Stamp and Candis Watterson. Thanks to Dr. Lee, not
only for planning and arranging all of the visits to criminal justice sites
that comprised this course, but for volunteering to chaperone WCU
students for the three-week course at HU.
After the three-week-long KSSP was over, our eight criminal justice
students were led by Dr. Lee in CJ475: “International Studies in Law
& Society,” a course designed to offer students an opportunity to make
first-hand observations of justice systems around the world, the Korean
system in this case. The Korean version exposed our students to every
facet of criminal justice in that country.
Participating in the KSSP at HU provides all international students
an opportunity to learn about the country and its culture, highlighting
history, arts, fashion, language, cinema, music and cuisine. In addition
to providing a total experience of Korean culture in historical and
contemporary social contexts, the KSSP promotes awareness of
Korea’s unique status in East Asian cultures. The program included a
variety of experiential learning activities: field trips, martial arts, pottery
making, movie night, karaoke night and sports. The participants visited
Hankok Village (traditional housing), National Central Museum, War
Memorial of Korea, DMZ, Everland and Gyeongbok Palace across
the country.
As none of the KSSP participants can speak Korean, all students and
even chaperons were matched to Korean buddies who are students at
Page 24
On Monday, July 9, the class visited the Korea National Police
University (KNPU) and stayed overnight at the university with freshman
students. The KNPU, the highest police education organization in
the country, was established in 1979 with the purpose to train and
educate elite law enforcement officers with pure faith in patriotism and
a mind for public service. All KNPU students receive full tuition waiver
for four years as well as additional supplies, clothing and allowance.
Upon graduation, KNPU students are commissioned at the rank of
inspector, which is equivalent to lieutenant in the U.S. system. Dr. Lee
is a graduate of the KNPU, enabling him to arrange an exceptional level
of access to both the university and working relationships throughout
the country. Consequently, the class was privileged to meet with the
director general of faculty, Inspector General Kyung-Min Park, his
staff, and Dr. Sunghoon Roh to learn about the Korean police training
system. In the afternoon, our students visited a local police substation,
Suji Gigudae, where approximately 60 police officers are dispatched.
After the captain’s briefing, they had an opportunity to ride along with
the Carolina Criminologist
Korean police officers. At night, Dr. Roh of the KNPU hosted a dinner for
WCU students meet with KNPU students.
On Tuesday, July 10, the students headed to the National Forensic
Service (NFS) in Seoul, the capital city of Korea. The NFS offers full
scientific intelligence by analyzing any evidence or evidentiary material
related to a crime through scientific investigation and experiments
upon the request of national police or prosecutors. In addition, the NFS
provides forensic training to police officers and investigators through
internal and external lecturing. The current visitation was arranged by
Chief Medical Examiner Youngshik Choi Ph.D. Dr. Choi allowed the
WCU students to observe two autopsy cases and explained the entire
procedure. Another medical examiner, Nak-Eun Chung, introduced the
mass identification system using DNA, which can be used to identify
victims of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Dr. Choi hosted a
lunch for the WCU students.
In the afternoon, the students visited the Constitutional Court of Korea
in Seoul. In 1987, the Constitutional Court was established as a new
independently specialized court based on the European Model. The
Constitutional Court decides on the constitutionality of laws, rules
on competence disputes between governmental entities, adjudicates
constitutional complaints filed by citizens, gives final decisions on
impeachment cases, and makes judgments on dissolution of political
parties. Before the establishment of the Constitutional Court, the
Supreme Court of Korea dealt with those cases. A constitutional research
officer in the Court provided historical backgrounds of the Court to
the students.
On Wednesday, July 11, the WCU students visited the Daejeon
Correctional Institution, one of the biggest prisons in Korea. The Daejeon
Correctional Institution is one of the two prisons in the country that holds
foreign inmates. Warden Jeong-Soo Jee explained to the WCU students
the overall operation of Korean corrections. The students learned not
only about correctional programs but also about the overall crime trends
and recidivism rates. After the briefing, the students had a tour of the
prison, observing central command center, cells for domestic inmates,
cells for foreigners, medical facilities, and factories. During the visit,
many students were stunned to see the amount of pride correctional
officers feel toward their work. Mike Eid, a participating student,
observed, “In South Korea the correctional officer is proud of his work;
Fall 2012
Page 25
BREAKING NEWS
FLASH…
Would You
Like to Spend a
Semester Studying
at the Prestigious
Korea National
Police University?
New International Student
Exchange Program
Coming Soon
nothing is more honorable than reintroducing
a lost person back into society.” Eid
continued, “The pride they feel in their work
is exceptional in comparison to the outlook a
correctional officer in [the U.S.] may have.”
Finally, on Thursday, July 12, the students
went to Busan, the second-biggest city
in Korea, to explore the Korean police
system. The student group visited Busan
Metropolitan Police Agency (BMPA), Busanjin
Police Station and Seomyoun Gigudae. In
BMPA, the students were welcomed by
the Chief of Police Administration Division,
Senior Superintendent Nomyoun Park, and
Chief of Foreign Affairs Division, Senior
Superintendent Jun-Hyeong Lee. The WCU
students undertook a tour of the agency,
including 112 Crime Report Center, Traffic
Control Center, Crime Scene Investigation
Division, Crime Investigation Division, and
simulation shooting training facilities. In
particular, Korea has a unique relationship
between police officers and prosecutors.
Unlike in the U.S., prosecutors in Korea
control police departments with respect to
criminal investigations. The WCU students
had a discussion with several criminal
investigators over the police-prosecutor
relationship. In Busanjin Police Station, the
Page 26
third-biggest police station in the country,
the WCU students met with chief, Senior
Superintendent Myoungdal Kwak and toured
the police custody section. At 9 p.m., the
students went to Seomyoun Gigudae, the
busiest district in the country, and had
another chance to ride along with police
officers on patrol.
Brittany Gartz, one of the participants,
concluded, “For four weeks, the opportunity
to experience South Korea proved to be more
than a chance to study abroad. It was a
chance to delve into a totally different culture
by trying diverse foods, exploring historical
sites, meeting exceptional people, and gaining
as much knowledge as time allowed about a
place that made headlines in our textbooks,
news stories, and television broadcasts.” With
respect to the delivery of CJ 475, Gartz said,
“the fourth week of this experience granted
the privilege of visiting locations relevant to
criminal justice studies, all of which were
teachers of a criminal justice system both
similar and different from America. When
comparing the American police, courts, and
corrections to that of South Korea, one may
be slightly surprised by features that are both
alike and different and fun facts which almost
seemed unheard of in their native country.”
The Department of Criminology & CJ has
long strived to offer its students opportunities
to study abroad. Aimed at developing student
exchange, an agreement is expected to
soon be formalized between WCU and the
Korea National Police University (KNPU),
subject to the government’s authorization.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between the two universities, once effective,
will allow up to three students per year to
attend for one semester at the KNPU. Both
universities expect to exchange students
as early as Spring 2013 (the KNPU spring
semester starts in March).
The KNPU, one of the most competitive
government-funded universities in Korea,
accepts 120 students (12 females) for each
class who will be appointed as an inspector
(lieutenant) after graduation. The KNPU
takes the lead in cultivating police elite
and providing innovative police education.
Currently, the KNPU offers four majors:
police law, criminal investigation, police
administration, and public order. The KNPU
is conveniently located only 20 miles south
of Seoul, the capital city of Korea.
Details on the exchange program with the
KNPU will be disseminated once the MOU is
finalized. For any question or inquiry, please,
contact Dr. Steve Brown browns@email.wcu.
edu or Dr. Hoon Lee hlee@email.wcu.edu.
the Carolina Criminologist
Dr. Anderson meeting with Correctional officails in China
Criminal Justice for a Changing World
Globalization has not only affected politics and economics but also
crime. From human trafficking to money laundering, from pornography
to the drug trade, national borders are becoming less relevant as
some criminals cast a more global net. Because of this, future criminal
justice practitioners will increasingly be called upon to understand
the operations of foreign justice systems and interact effectively with
practitioners from other countries. Global crime calls for a more global
response. It is for this reason that the curriculum in the Department of
Criminology and Criminal Justice contains a course titled “Comparative
Criminal Justice Systems” (CJ354). This course will be offered on a
routine basis.
Students will first analyze the broad modern legal traditions that exist
and then look at representative countries from around the world within
each respective category. Approaches to general social control, criminal
law, policing and corrections will be analyzed and will include countries
Fall 2012
in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Students will also have
the opportunity to pick a country and focus on a specific aspect of that
country’s criminal justice process.
The course will often be taught by Dr. Allen F. Anderson, a professor
emeritus from Indiana University who has been teaching as an adjunct
in the department since spring semester 2012. He has researched HIV/
AIDS policy and control in the People’s Republic of China for more than
20 years and has been a consultant to the Chinese Ministry of Justice
and the Chinese Ministry of Health during this period. He has worked
extensively with Chinese corrections officials in developing policy for
HIV control in the prison environment. Since HIV/AIDS control in China
has involved a criminal justice component, his background in both
criminal justice and public health allowed him unique access to the
problem. He has made 19 trips to the Chinese mainland in his work.
Page 27
Help Support Your Program
Show your support for programs in criminal justice and emergency and disaster management.
With your tax deductible gift of $25 or greater, you will receive the WCU lapel pin of your choice
(Criminal Justice or EDM) and will be placed upon the mailing list to receive printed copies
of The Carolina Criminologist. Donors also will be recognized in The Carolina Criminologist,
which is circulated on campus and emailed to thousands of alumni. Your gift will help provide
the margin of excellence needed for these programs and will help support activities and events
that distinguish criminal justice and EDM education at WCU, including support for student
presentations at conferences, guest speakers, student workshops and agency visits.
There are a number of ways to give to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Please consider how you can help strengthen the department through a gift.
Recent Alumni $25-35
(2008 graduate or later)
Justice Supporter $100 or more
• Lapel pin of your choice
• Placed on the mailing list for copies of
The Carolina Criminologist
• Placed on the mailing list for copies of
The Carolina Criminologist
• Lapel pin of your choice
• Recognition as a Justice Supporter
• Recognition as a Recent Alumni contributor
Patron Supporter $50-99
Sustaining Supporter recurring
monthly gift of $10 or greater
• Lapel pin of your choice
• Lapel pin of your choice
• Placed on the mailing list for bound copies
of The Carolina Criminologist
• Placed on the mailing list for copies of
The Carolina Criminologist
• Recognition as a Justice Supporter
• Recognition as a Sustaining Supporter
• Invitations to special departmental and
college events
Indicate your preferred level of support:
o Recent Alumni [$25-35] (graduated 2008
or later)
o Patron Supporter [$50-99]
o Justice Sponsor [$100 or more]
o Sustaining Supporter [recurring monthly gift
of $10 or greater]
o Other: $__________
o Please contact me to discuss planned
giving options
To discuss planned giving or support needed
for major departmental initiatives with naming
opportunities, please contact Dr. Steve Brown,
Department Head, at browns@wcu.edu,
828.227.2174 or Greg Bauguess, Director
of Development, at bauguessg@wcu.edu,
828.227.3045.
Donor Information
Name____________________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________________________
City, Sate, zip______________________________________________________________________
Telephone ________________________________________________________________________
Email_____________________________________________________________________________
the Carolina
Criminologist
Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice
Alumni o yes o no
edited by:
Payment Options
Dr. Cyndy Caravelis Hughes
caravelis@wcu.edu
Mail checks to:
Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
Make a gift online at: give.wcu.edu
Please specify for the Department of
Criminology & Criminal Justice in the
comments box.
Checks should be payable to “The Western
Carolina University Foundation” and note on
the memo line “gift for Criminology & Criminal
Justice Department.”
Call WCU’s Office of Development to make
a credit card gift by phone:
828.227.7124 or 800.492.8496.
Dr. Steve Brown
browns@wcu.edu
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and comments.
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